In the 2024 World Press Freedom Index, more than half the countries in the Americas region have seen their situation deteriorate, particularly due to the fall in the political indicator.
Reporters Without Borders released its latest World Press Freedom Index.
“This year, one statement prevails: press freedom is being threatened by the very people who should be its guarantors – governments and political actors. ”
Government administrations have pledged to maintain open relations with the press. However, media professionals feel there is a certain lack of transparency, even though technology has facilitated transmission.
Media landscape
The media is very polarised, making the coverage of political news or criminal cases controversial. When covering news, some journalists generally show their allegiance to one of the two major political parties. The main non-partisan newspapers are Amandala and The Reporter. Channel 5 and Channel 7 are the two most-watched television networks.
Political context
Belize is a multi-party parliamentary monarchy and a member of the Commonwealth. The prime minister is the head of government and the governor general is the head of state who represents the British monarch. The country has enjoyed a fairly stable political life for four decades, with the two main political parties alternating their time in power fairly regularly. Crime and politics, widely covered in the media, are often sources of contention between the media and the government. Officials regularly accuse some media of resorting to “sensationalism” on these topics which they say jeopardizes the country’s major economic engine, tourism, by resorting to “sensationalism” on these topics.
Legal framework
Overly critical journalists, and media houses face state censorship by way of intimidation with threats of costly and lengthy defamation lawsuits.
Economic context
With no daily newspapers, the pool of media outlets is small, and of those considered mainstream, some are supportive of political parties, even when privately owned. Independent media are scarce and access to funding is limited. Most of the advertising funds that media publishers rely on come from the government and their distribution are often dependent on the party in power.
Sociocultural context
Formerly British Honduras, Belize gained independence in 1981. The country is relatively sparsely populated, with more than 400,000 inhabitants, but it has one of the highest homicide rates per capita in the world. Criminal affairs and political life are the two subjects most covered by the media.
Safety
Journalists are occasionally threatened, intimidated or harassed. In particular, those who cover the lower courts in criminal matters often face threats from the accused or their relatives over the publication of images and stories.
Tonight, a thirteen-year-old boy is incarcerated at the Belize Central Prison where he will remain at the Wagner’s Youth Facility for the duration of a ninety-day state of emergency. The teenager, a resident of Belize City, was swept up along with dozens of other young men from various neighborhoods that have been deemed as hotspots for gang-related crimes. On Monday, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams weighed in on the minor’s detention. The Minister of Human Development and Social Transformation also commented on the situation, amid public concern regarding the boy’s imprisonment. Earlier today, attorney Leslie Mendez visited the Wagner’s Youth Facility to speak with her young client but was denied access and informed by prison authorities that she needed to obtain a court order to gain access to the teenager. In a letter written to Home Affairs Minister Kareem Musa and C.E.O. Virgilio Murillo, of the Kolbe Foundation, Mendez states, quote, “upon reviewing the Belize Constitution, Statutory Instrument No. 94 of 2024, and Statutory Instrument No. 99 of 2024, I found no provision that exempts or conditions a detainee’s right to access legal representation, much less that of a child detainee. In fact, both the Belize Constitution and Statutory Instrument No. 99 of 2024 explicitly recognizes the right of detainees to legal representation,” end quote. Mendez goes on to write, quote, “this request is made especially in light of information received regarding my client’s detention conditions, which indicate that he is not merely detained, but is being held in what the prison authorities refer to as the “hole”, We underscore that, in all decisions affecting a child, the best interest of the child must be the paramount consideration. Here it appears that a tactic of preventative detention is being employed against a child, which is in direct conflict with multiple international human rights conventions, more notably the Convention of the Rights of the Child, to which Belize is signatory,” end quote. We note that in an interview with ComPol Williams on Monday, he said that the minor is being held in detention because he is a threat to himself and others around him.
According to Police Commissioner Chester Williams, the boy has been part of intervention programs before but that nothing seemed to have been effective in his life. News Five contacted Virgilio Murrillo, the C.E.O. of the Kolbe Foundation which manages the prison facility and the Wagner’s Youth Facility where the thirteen-year-old is being held. Murrillo told us via WhatsApp that because of the boy’s tender age, he was placed by himself for a couple weeks, whilst the administration gauges the temperament of the other youngsters in his presence. Murrillo said that today the boy is amongst the others and that the administration sees no danger with him there. He added that the youth is a part of the intervention programs being offered by the L.I.U and Nuri Mohammed. Murrillo also told us that the youth is not being treated differently from the rest of the youths in the facility. He informed us today (quote), “they are offered all the rights and privileges other prisoners enjoy. The only difference with them is their programming with the L.I.U and Brother Nuri, because the other prisoners who are convicted and remanded don’t participate in those intervention programs. We are certain he can live amongst the others. They are a little older, but still under the age of eighteen years. Suffice me to say that the youth will be very safe in this environment until he is removed. That, I will guarantee”, (end quote). Police Commissioner Williams also said he would try to get in touch with the youth’s mother to see what other help can be rendered.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I have not spoken to her personally. Perhaps I should, and I will pledge so to do but I know that the mother is aware that her son is problematic. She’s quite aware of that. She has reached out to somebody for help and that person had reached out to me. And so I will try my best to see if I can meet her sometime this week and see what we can work out together to try and help the young man, because perhaps he does need help. So we’ll just see how we can do that. We have the lead interventionist, Brother Nuri going into the prison twice a week, and doing interventions and mentoring to these young men. I think it’s a very good way for us to be able to help him and others who are there to really and truly reflect on why they are there, and as well as to find ways and means as to why they would not want to get back there.”
Proponents of the death penalty argue that capital punishment is a deterrent to murders. But attorneys who oppose the death penalty argue that a return to the death penalty is a step backward. Senior Counsel, Godfrey Smith and Co-Executive Director of the Death Penalty Project, Parvais Jabbar, both provided pro bono advice and representation to Jared Ranguy. In March, he pleaded guilty to the 2011 murder of his mother, sister and stepfather in Ladyville. Two weeks ago, Ranguy was given three life sentences. Jabbar and Smith spoke today with Belizean journalists on their common perspective on the topic and News Five’s Marion Ali filed this report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
It remains on Belize’s law books as the maximum possible punishment that may be imposed when someone is convicted of murder, but it has never been applied since June nineteenth, 1985, when Kent Bowers was executed. That was forty years ago. And the last time it was handed down as a sentence was over twenty years ago. Seasoned attorneys Godfrey Smith and Parvais Jabbar want the death penalty removed from Belizean lawbooks because they staunchly believe that no one who has committed a murder is deemed irredeemable. Jabbar points to the Jared Ranguy case, summed up only two weeks ago with three lifetime sentences for three family members.
Parvais Jabbar
Parvais Jabbar, Co-Executive Director, Death Penalty Project
“What the decision on sentencing in Ranggai does, it follows a very long line of jurisprudence, which is established, as you say, that death penalty is reserved for the worst of the worst, or somebody who is beyond reformation. It doesn’t say that person shouldn’t be punished. It doesn’t say, they’re not saying, for example, in this case, we are not applying the death penalty because we don’t want to. It’s a personal opinion. It’s a political opinion. They’re saying death penalty is not appropriate.”
Godfrey Smith
Godfrey Smith, Senior Counsel
“People seem mistakenly, in our view, to think that it could be, to be any kind of deterrent. It would have to be imposed on a large scale of offenders in a very swift fashion. Which it can’t be because it’s reserved for the worst of the worst and the rarest of the rare. And, forty years it hasn’t.”
Smith and Jabbar share the view that policymakers ought to be focusing more on improving the justice system and the factors that drive crime and murders.
Godfrey Smith
“Those who think about policy and think about policy to drive change, what should be thought about is not the death penalty at all, but how we can effectively improve policing, the criminal justice system, and the socioeconomic conditions that are conducive to and lead to criminality.”
Jabbar also points to the inefficacy of the death penalty on the lawbooks as it relates to controlling the conviction rate. He and Smith also point out that there are irreversible errors that are made when state sanctioned executions occur. And where Belize is at on the global map on this topic, Jabbar says that two thirds of countries around the world have abolished the death penalty from their laws. Belize remains among the minority that still have it enshrined as law.
Parvais Jabbar
“There are one hundred and twenty-six countries that are totally have abolished the death penalty for all crimes or ordinary crimes. There are another forty countries which are considered A.D.F. So Belize comes in that category. And then you’re looking at thirty-five, thirty-six countries left that actually execute. If you look at the global picture, and if you compare it to, say, fifty years ago, it was the other way around. It was seventy-five with the death penalty, twenty-five without.”
Smith believes that the conversation in Belize should begin now on removing the piece of law that is never applied anymore in Belize’s courtrooms.
Godfrey Smith
“Each time there appears to be a rise in crime or is a rise in crime. Some people reach for a return to executions, and we think that this. Session that we’re having right now with media hosts is an important start to the conversation and should lead to deeper conversations and deeper reflections, especially by those in government to consider which direction it wishes to go.”
A policeman stationed in the Corozal District stands accused of threatening his wife with a firearm. There has seemingly been a change of heart on her part of not wanting to proceed with the matter, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams indicated that the court would deal with that when it arises there. The policeman he said, has been arrested and charged, and any internal tribunal would be dependent on what happens at the court.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“That policeman have been arrested and charged and he’ll be going to court this morning. From what I get to understand is that the wife have no retract her statement, but we are not accepting that. We’re saying to her that if it is that she no longer wish to proceed to court, then she have to go to the court and inform the court of that. We are proceeding with the matter before the court this morning. We have to wait to see what the court is going to do because for us to be able to proceed with internal charges against him, we do need her as well. So we have to wait to see what happens at court.”
We heard the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams on the pressure that the police have been applying in areas where suspected gang and drug activities occur. In the case of Khader Habet of San Ignacio, who had complained that the police had searched his residence over a dozen times in the past few weeks, Williams said that Habet had become a person of interest for police after a significant amount of drugs and a number of firearms were found stashed away in a lot adjacent to his property. Williams sent the warning to all persons of interest across the country that the police will not let up.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I have said to the S.P.U. that operates in the San Ignacio, Santa Elena area, as well as the police in San Ignacio and Santa Elena, that I want them to keep constant pressure on those persons who live to make the lives of all our abiding people miserable. And so if you are a part of the crime world, you will see the police and you’ll see the police every day. If it reaches a point that they get frustrated and have to move and go somewhere else, then so shall it be. But we will do what needs to be done to keep the people of San Ignacio/Santa Elena safe and by extension the entire country because I have also said to the other commanders across the country that every area that is known to be a gang base or a drug base or a criminal base, we have to go after them and we must go at them intensely. The public has always been complaining that the police know who the criminals are and these criminals move around freely and do what they want. Well we’re taking a stand now and I would hope that the people are going to support us in what we’re doing because it has been done with the view to ensure that the masses of this country are safe. So I hear the complaints of Mr. Habet, but we’ll continue to do what needs to be done.”
Two men who are wanted by local law enforcement may very well be heading back to Belize quicker than they were hoping to return. Ellis Meighan is wanted for the April fourteenth murder of Roy Burgess on the Placencia Road and Brady Tillett is wanted for the June twenty-fifth shooting of the Commissioner of Police’s home in Belmopan. Both men fled Belize and were nabbed on separate dates while entering the U.S. The Belize Police Department has requested their deportation in order to bring charges against them for the crimes they are accused of committing. Commissioner Williams explained that it’s a process still in the making.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“We’re still going through the process with the U.S authorities. You know that we’re not the ones who have them in our custody. As much as we wish we’d have them, we have not been given that opportunity to have them back home. So we have submitted to the U.S. authorities the documentations in respect of both individuals. And we’re hoping that once ICE is through with the process that they must go through with them, that they will be able to return them to us back in Belize.”
Since the first quarter of 2023, insurance premiums particularly on motorcycles went from a hundred dollars to two hundred and fifty dollars per year. And when we visited an insurance company to inquire the reason, they said that it was because serious accidents involving motorcycles in Belize had increased significantly and that their payouts for those accidents for medical treatments had soared and had begun to have an impact on the insurance industry financially. In one week, the insurance company noted that there were between five and seven motorcycle-related accidents in one week. That was almost one per day. There has not been a recent compilation of the number of deadly motorcycle accidents recently, but by police reports, the frequency of these accidents continues to be high. Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams says a lot of times the fault is on the motorcycle drivers.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“We do have a number of these accidents involving motorcycles and I want to appeal to motorcycle drivers that the rules of the road apply to them as well. Many times, motorcycle drivers believe – or they operate in such a way as if the rules of the road do not apply to them. They overtake on the wrong side. They see vehicle coming and still overtaking – several infractions that they would commit on these motorcycles. And it is a danger to their health. And that’s the reason why we’re seeing that a number of persons are dying as a result of motorcycle accidents. And so we want to encourage motorcycle riders to please adhere to the rules of the road, and if they do it is going to help to save their lives.”
Mexico has a population of just over one hundred and twenty-five million residents. It is viewed as a green pasture for Belize’s tourism industry. That is why a delegation of government officials and private sector representatives traveled to Chetumal today to promote the upcoming coconut and corn festival. But the visit turned out to be more than just a promotional tour. Like-minded government and private sector representatives from both countries sat down to discuss the formation of an alliance to enhance cross border trade. News Five’s Paul Lopez traveled north today. He filed the following report.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
The Chetumal Chamber of Commerce hosted a delegation of government officials and business representatives from Belize at its headquarters in Mexico today. Rigo Vellos, the Mayor of Corozal Town, provided some insight into the purpose of their visit.
Rigo Vellos
Rigo Vellos, Mayor, Corozal Town “It is something where the BTIA Corozal Branch decided to come up with the idea where we do an event on behalf of the famous coconut and corn festival. We are trying to see how we can mobilize tourism through this event by inviting the Mexicans, specifically Chetumal and trying to see how we can get them across for this weekend and eventually on a bigger scale, every weekend if possible or every day.”
The second annual Coconut Fest is scheduled for August third in Corozal Town. The event is organized by the Belize Tourism Industry Association’s Corozal Chapter.
Efren Perez
Efren Perez, President, BTIA, Corozal Chapter “We have entertainment lined up the entire day, we start off at nine a.m. We start off with a parade with the local marching bands in Corozal, heading over to the Chactemal Plaza and it is a family fun day, we have activities, coconut competition we will be doing and a wide range of food, food specifically within the coconut and corn and that gives us an opportunity to focus on the culinary aspects of Corozal.”
But the discussions held today went beyond the tourism sector. There were talks of a partnership being formed to promote and enhance cross border trade. Several Belizean businesses were present to introduce prospective consumers to their products, from transportation, to accommodation, communication and tours.
Shameka Pennill
Shameka Pennill, Marketing Manager, San Pedro Belize Express “We are basically here to showcase our service, specifically our Chetumal run that does the connection between Chetumal and Belize, specifically San Pedro and Caye Caulker.”
Jorge Murray
Jorge Murray, Sales Manager, SMART “Today we are promoting our tourist sim cards. So, we offer two different packages for our travelers. We offer our day pass which includes unlimited data and eleven dollars’ worth of calling time and thirty-eight SMS.”
At today’s event, government officials and private sector representatives from both sides of the northern border sat at a head table explaining the importance of Belize and Chetumal forging strong alliances in mutually beneficial sectors. Prior to their public address, the head table met privately to discuss the best approaches to realize this vision. From that meeting it was decided that a working group would be established.
Efren Perez “There were various issues that popped up. I think that when we look at cross borders, the issues with fees. Fortunately, I think the government has made advances in terms of doing that, with the introduction of Tren Maya and the Tulum International Airport, I think that gives us the tools necessary to start to work together as a region. What was discussed also is that we have common cultural bound in the area of Quinta Roo and I think we need to start to explore that.”
Notably, Mexican authorities cited several difficulties that residents face when traveling into Belize. Most of these challenges exist at the border crossing point. In response, the Government of Belize has removed travel duties for Mexicans coming into Belize. Also, a new statutory instrument affords Mexicans a seven day duty-free stay in Belize. The Regional Integration Unit within the Ministry of Tourism was recently established to address these types of issues.
Mike Hernandez
Mike Hernandez, Regional Integration Officer, Regional Integration Unit “Bearing in mind that currently residents from Chetumal are able to visit Belize and Othon Blanco are able to visit Belize and as long as Immigration allows them to stay to be able to enjoy Belize, allow the attractions in Belize without paying any taxes. One of the officials of CANACO that they find it difficult where in the immigration department you have persons that are rotated every six months. You have new people coming in and some of them are not familiar with the established protocols in place that are there to actually facilitate the movement of people.”
We also heard from Amir Espadas, the President of CANACO SERVYTUR, following today’s discussions. He noted that Belize has significant leverage in the region as a member of CARICOM.
Amir Espadas
Amir Espadas, President, CANACO SERVYTUR
“I think it is very important to make this alliance that allows us to form a working table where we are government and businessmen not only to solve immigration or border problems or not only to look for tourism solutions we want to look for solutions in trade, in export, in import in commercial tourism, in medical tourism, in education. We don’t want these to be just proposals that remain up in the air. We want them to be concrete proposals that materialize, as we are seeing today with this press conference, with the promotion of the Coconut Fair that will take place in Corozal, and with this exchange between hoteliers from Belize and Quintana Roo.”
In our interview with Amir Espadas, the President of the Chetumal Chamber of Commerce, he went on to explain how trade relations between Belize and Mexico have been mutually beneficial. Aside from the positive steps forward, Espadas noted that there are issues of corruption, abuse of authority and mistreatment at the border crossing that must be addressed. He says this needs to be done to increase the flow of tourists to and from Belize.
Amir Espadas
Amir Espadas, President, CANACO SERVYTUR
“The President of the Republic, Andres Manuel López Obrador, exempted many tariffs on products you export to Mexico, such as cattle, such as sugar and other products that we consume. And what we are seeing right now is that the Government of Belize is removing taxes for Mexicans who want to go to Belize. I think that besides that experience, for some time now our governments are doing what they can, businesses need to take advantage of it, but just as there are positive actions there are also practices done at the border and its far from helping, they harm, which is where we need to work. But, as a business sector alone, we won’t achieve it if we don’t involve the authorities who deal with these issues: corruption, abuse of authority, and mistreatment, because it needs to be said. So what we want is for that flow of tourists that has always existed to continue and to increase. And I stress this, not only for Chetumal, but for Belize. Previously, many Chetumalan families would eat at Corozal every Sunday. And that was stopped due to the restrictions that our governments sometimes impose. And they don’t realize that they are harming what we traditionally, or historically, already had. I believe that in this sense the business sector assume the responsibilities of these offices, because in the business sector, we like things to happen in a practical and fast way, and that’s what we’re going to be promoting, or we’re going to be encouraging, that the solutions are practical and immediate, because we can’t wait for the authority’s time, because we also know that bureaucracy, on many occasions, takes a long time to give results.”
